Age of Legends Episode 22 Recap
> Age of Legends Recap
Hou Sihai received a call informing him that Liu Ziguang had recovered and been discharged from the hospital. This news instantly worried Hou Sihai, who expressed concern about the escalating situation and Liu Ziguang's ruthless nature. He was also informed that he was being closely watched by the police, which made him realize the fight was becoming fiercer than he imagined and already out of control.
Hu Rong and her police team arrived with an arrest warrant for Hou Sihai, who was suspected of orchestrating Nie Chengcheng's kidnapping. Initially defiant, Hou Sihai became compliant upon seeing the warrant and was taken into custody. At the police station, Hu Rong interrogated Hou Sihai regarding the kidnapping. He denied knowing the culprits, claiming he had not personally received them at his home, and accused Hu Rong of making baseless accusations in a society governed by law.
Han Jin, observing from another room, found Hou Sihai to be a slippery and difficult subject. Given the time limit on the interrogation and the need to uncover deeper secrets of Hou Sihai's criminal enterprise, Deputy Director Song instructed the team to release him for the time being. Soon after his release, Hou Sihai felt uneasy, suspecting Sun Wei of tipping off the police. He called Sun Wei and arranged to meet at the Southside Pier warehouse that night.
Hou Sihai then ordered a subordinate, Old San, to kill Sun Wei, offering 5 million yuan and citing Sun Wei's betrayal. Sun Wei, unsuspecting, went to a derelict construction site near the pier and was fatally shot. The sound of gunshots prompted the police to respond. Hu Rong and Han Jin immediately arrived, discovering the culprits had fled into a used car service shop and taken hostages.
Deputy Director Song arrived at the scene, stressing the paramount importance of ensuring hostage safety. Han Jin briefed him on the situation: ten to eleven hostages were inside with two armed gangsters, one of whom was wounded. Han Jin attempted to negotiate via loudspeaker, but the gangsters initially refused to communicate.
When they finally responded, they demanded a doctor for their injured accomplice and a getaway car, threatening to kill a hostage every five minutes if their demands were not met quickly, imposing a ten-minute deadline for all conditions. They also insisted on speaking directly with the police leader. Deputy Director Song identified himself and, to de-escalate the volatile situation, ordered the snipers to withdraw.
Hu Rong, with her basic first-aid training, volunteered to enter the shop disguised as a doctor, hoping to find an opportunity to subdue the perpetrators. Both Han Jin and Deputy Director Song opposed the idea due to her inexperience in such dangerous situations. However, Hu Yuejin, Hu Rong's father and Director-General, unexpectedly gave his consent, instructing her to be extremely cautious and discreetly providing her with a hidden gun. Hu Rong entered the shop with a first-aid kit.
As she began bandaging the injured gangster, the other armed gangster ordered her to remove her mask, quickly recognizing her as a police officer. Hu Rong maintained that she was the only one capable of saving his accomplice, while the gangster warned her that any deception would result in the deaths of everyone inside. Meanwhile, in an office area, the armed gangster discovered a security guard, who turned out to be Liu Ziguang.
With Hu Rong and Liu Ziguang now inside, Han Jin proposed a swift attack from a hidden back door with a special forces team, while other police provided cover from the front. Deputy Director Song approved the plan, and Han Jin began preparations. To buy more time, the police continued to announce the availability of the getaway vehicle via loudspeaker. The gangsters, however, took two hostages as human shields. During the escalating confrontation, a gangster fired at Hu Rong.
Liu Ziguang immediately sprang forward to shield her. At the same instant, Han Jin, who had covertly infiltrated the premises, also rushed to protect Hu Rong. Han Jin took the bullet, falling critically wounded, while the bullet also injured Liu Ziguang. Han Jin was rushed to Jiangbei People's Hospital for emergency surgery. Liu Ziguang, also injured, followed to receive medical attention.
Hu Rong sat in the hospital corridor, consumed by guilt, blaming herself for failing to apprehend Hou Sihai and for Han Jin's severe injury. Liu Ziguang, recovering from his wounds, explained to her that he and Han Jin protected her not out of her necessity for it, but because they both genuinely cared for her and desired to protect her.
Hu Rong acknowledged his words but expressed deep remorse, feeling that as a police officer, she should be protecting others, not requiring protection herself, and regretting Han Jin's sacrifice for her. Doctors later confirmed Han Jin's surgery was a success. At police headquarters, Director-General Hu Yuejin and Deputy Director Song announced crucial breakthroughs.
Based on solid evidence and confessions from Sun Wei's killer, Hou Sihai was confirmed to be involved in drug trafficking via waterway transport lines, in addition to murder, kidnapping, and organized crime. A nationwide arrest warrant for Hou Sihai was officially issued. Following the briefing, Hu Yuejin praised Hu Rong's "outstanding performance" during the hostage crisis and urged her to prioritize her safety.
Police officers raided Hou Sihai's residence, but he had already fled, leaving behind substantial amounts of cash and gold, indicating a frantic escape. Nie Wanfeng, learning of Hou Sihai's exposure and disappearance, realized he had to take direct action to prevent Hou Sihai from implicating him and his syndicate.
Deputy Director Song summoned Nie Wanfeng to the police station for questioning about any business dealings or conflicts he might have had with Hou Sihai, particularly in relation to Nie Chengcheng's kidnapping. Nie Wanfeng, maintaining his composure, stated that his Major Development Group had only purchased sand and gravel from Hou Sihai's Four Seas Sand Trading Company.
He described how Hou Sihai had monopolized the market by coercing other suppliers, forcing Nie Wanfeng to buy sand at prices 30% higher than market rates. He recounted a past incident where he, while intoxicated, had criticized Hou Sihai for unfair practices but quickly apologized and continued the business relationship. Nie Wanfeng expressed his personal philosophy of "amiability makes you rich" and lamented how the situation nearly cost his son's life.
Despite Nie Wanfeng's carefully constructed narrative, Deputy Director Song remained suspicious as he politely escorted him out. Back at the hospital, Liu Ziguang sat by Han Jin's unconscious bedside, speaking softly. He acknowledged Han Jin's profound love for Hu Rong, evident in his self-sacrificing act. Liu Ziguang confessed his internal struggle, contemplating whether he should still confess his own feelings for Hu Rong given Han Jin's condition.
Meanwhile, at the police station, Hu Rong stepped in to handle Han Jin's responsibilities, meticulously reviewing maps and potential locations for the fugitive Hou Sihai, her worry for Han Jin evident in her diligent work.
